By Chef Alexis Hernandez
Weekends Built for Braising
In the fall and winter, especially on weekends, I reach for the Dutch oven.
We’re both home, and we both get to smell the house fill with the gorgeous scent of a braise.
Garlic, celery, tomato, onions — all of it blending into something you know like a friend.
When the Magic Happens
It’s not the aromatics I sauté that I smell first. It’s the moment when everything — the beans, the ham hock, the garlic — starts to dance together. You know it’s happening when my other half says out loud, “Man, that smells gorgeous.”
My Bean Routine
If I’ve planned ahead, the beans soak overnight. If not, I give them a quick soak and get moving. I’m a timing person — I check when the clock tells me to, then I taste, check texture, and decide if it’s ready.
Always the Same Finish
It always goes to the table the same way: with toasted garlic bread spread with garlic confit (my secret weapon for almost any meal) mashed into softened butter, sprinkled with chives.
A Rain-Soaked January Memory
One January on our farm, it rained for days.
We sat by the fireplace, plated our bowls, and carried them to the porch to eat while the lightning talked in the distance.
We laughed at the rain, and it felt like the weather and the beans had been conspiring to make that night happen.
In January, slow cooking isn’t a trend. It’s a kindness — to the ingredients, to the people you’re feeding, and to yourself.
Chef Alexis Hernandez writes The Other Side of the Stove. His work has also appeared in News of Sun City Center and South County, and he has appeared on Food Network Star and Cutthroat Kitchen.
